1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a thermotherapy apparatus for use in thermotherapy associated with the phenomenon of hyperthermia, and in particular, to a thermotherapeutic apparatus applied to a living body in which a distribution of temperature in the organism is estimated to achieve control of the temperature to be applied to the living body.
In addition, the present invention relates to a thermotherapy apparatus applied to a living body in which a distribution of temperature in the organism is estimated to develop a thermotherapy schedule support function facilitating a thermotherapy scheduling job.
Moreover, the present invention relates to a thermotherapy schedule support apparatus helping the user easily achieve the thermotherapy scheduling process.
2. Description of Related Art
A thermotherapy apparatus for use in a thermotherapy is constituted in general of a pair of applicators, a high frequency generator, a thermostatic liquid circulator, and a temperature measuring unit. Each of the applicators includes an electrode and and a bolus or a liquid bag in which the electrode is enclosed. The high frequency generator produces and applies a high frequency voltage between the electrodes. On the other hand, in each of the boluses, a thermostatic liquid is circulated by the thermostatic liquid circulating unit. The applicators are attached onto a living body to enclose a portion of the organism therebetween such that when the high frequency voltage is applied between the electrodes of the applicators, the body sandwiched between the electrodes is dielectrically heated. The boluses are tightly fixed onto surfaces of the organism (or on an inner surface of a cavity of the body) to lower the temperature thereof.
In operation, a temperature sensor is inserted into the living body such that a first end portion thereof is placed in a tumor of the body. The sensor senses a temperature at the end portion to produce an output signal representing the temperature and then delivers the signal to the temperature measuring unit. Based on the received temperature signal, the unit conducts the measurement of the tumor temperature. The high frequency power applied to the applicator is controlled to retain the measured temperature in a certain range of temperature (for example, from 42.5.degree. C. to 43.0.degree. C.). When the tumor of the organism is kept in this temperature range and the heating condition is kept unchanged for a predetermined period of time, the tumor portion will possibly be destroyed to necrosis.
In the conventional thermotherapy apparatus, the high frequency power is controlled depending on the temperature sensed at "a point" of the first end of the temperature sensor. Since the electrode of the applicator has a diameter of several centimeters to several tens of centimeters and the high frequency power is emitted from an area or a surface, it is necessary to measure the distribution of temperature in a portion of the body in a two-dimensional or three-dimensional manner. Furthermore, personal characteristics such as the contour of the body and the thickness of a fatty layer vary among the patients undergoing thermotherapy.
In consequence, the apparatus for use in the thermotheraphy of conventional technology may possibly produce a hot spot at an unexpected position in some cases, which frequently leads to an accident in that portions of the living body of the patient are burnt.
Moreover, the patients usually feel pain when the temperature sensor is inserted into the body of the patient; furthermore, the inserting point may cause the patients to catch an infectious disease.